Daddy Dearest
by DeborahSulkin
Summary: Jessie found her way to New York, she found herself fitting in surprisingly well. Relieved to be away from the one thing she wanted to run from. Unfortunately, things happen. One mistake and Jessie is out of a job - sent all the way home - and she is forced to face that monster once more. Warning: Child Abuse.
1. Prologue

A cut. That was how everything began. A simple cut right underneath her left eye. The trickle of blood she couldn't forget as it dropped slowly down her cheek, stopped moments before meeting her clothes by the girl's hand. Wiping it away. Masked. She thought it was a tear. Swiped it across her cheek so it left a long red smear. Jessie couldn't forget that night.

He had apologized. Repeatedly saying sorry to his newly broken little girl.

She believed it. Gave a strong nod accompanied by a hurt whisper of, "It's fine, Dad, accidents happen." The forced smile that came with it hurt her more.

Yet, she knew, it was an accident. He was angry, she hadn't done as he had wanted, and he was mad at that. The glass of water upon her bedside found its way into his hand. A watermark now stained the painted walls, the glass slipping free from his grasp, hitting the wall so hard it shattered with a twinkling of glass.

Once piece. It only took one. Bouncing back from the wall and hitting her.

_Accidents happen._

All she needed to know was that accidents happen.

It wasn't until a bruise found its way onto her arm that Jessie thought this was no longer a one time thing. Her mind forced her to try and believe otherwise, making her think her beloved Dad could never do that, yet he had. She had to embrace that.

A young girl – merely eleven – had to embrace the fact that she had became her father's personal punching bag.


	2. Chapter 1

Packed bags lay upon what the girl once knew as her bed. Jessie's amber eyes looked around in one careful sweep, taking in the sight before her. She basked in the view for a mere moment, savoring what was once her home. The knots inside of her stomach welled beyond a point of her controlling them. Crippling her to a point where she figured she may throw up another few times.

With a soft sniffle of her nose, Jessie let her hand tenderly wipe underneath her eyes. The hand travelling further to tuck her ginger curls behind her ear. She wasn't sure where exactly she had gone wrong here, yet she knew she had screwed up big time.

None of the kids were home, all packed and off to school for the day, not due back for another hour. With a slump Jessie fell onto the end of her bed. Her eyes looking towards the doorway trying her best to conceal another bout of sobs.

So sleeping with Tony was the stupidest thing she had ever done.

No, Jessie didn't regret that. She regretted where she had chosen to do it. Yet, it _was_ her room after all, and the kids were asleep. How in the hell was she supposed to know they would stupidly fall asleep and Christina would find them in a undressed heap in the morning?

Her head shook. It had happened and there was no use dwelling on that fact now.

Mistakes happen.

**Accidents** happen.

Too many accidents.

Amber eyes barely had time to process someone now stood in her doorway, the trance-like stare she held broke with the sound of a soft knock.

"Jessie?" Came that voice she knew and loved all to well.

Broken, she looked into his eyes with a half smile. "Hey."

Tony heard the upset in her word, he could see it all over her expression. The guy hadn't even processed the packed up bedroom before he walked over the threshold and took his girlfriend into his arms. "It's okay. Whatever it is, it's okay."

They stayed like that for a moment. Tony uncomfortably perched upon the edge of the bed, Jessie silently crying into his hold. A shake came of her head, the ginger curls bouncing with the soft movement. Her tight wrap around him released, she sat herself up and looked straight into his stupid, irresistible, brown eyes.

"No." She said, hushed, whispered. Jessie looked down to the blanket they sat upon atop the bed, her hand finding a new fascination with the material.

"No?" Was asked back at her, in a confused way.

Jessie sniffled her nose, looking back at him. "I have to go home, Tony."

His heart sank just as quick as the girl's stomach had sunk when she finally realized that news also. The look on his face, it made her cry further. "We-" She sucked in a deep breath, "We need to break up."

It was now Tony's turn to shake his head at his girlfriend. Or, should he say, ex-girlfriend. No, no he shouldn't. "What happened?" Was all he could ask right now. That hand of his traced over the features of her face, a thumb tenderly wiping away her tears.

"Christina, she said I was irresponsible and too immature to be around her kids. That Emma, or any of them, would get bad ideas from this, and they just couldn't do that." Her hand found his, holding it so it cupped her cheek. In an awkward turn, she pressed a soft kiss to the side of his palm. "So I have to go home now."

Tony's eyebrows knitted together. The guy looked towards the doorway just to check no one was listening in, but he also knew the kids were away right now. "Jessie…" He trailed off with a shake of his head, looking back to her. Yeah, he was clueless at times, romanticized everything, and was naturally dumb with important things, but he wasn't stupid here. The last thing he ever needed would be to lose the girl he loved. And that girl was right in front of him - for however much longer he didn't know.

"I can't stay here." Jessie added on into the silence of the moment. Her red eyes looked to his, still off colour from all the crying she had been doing. The small smile she forced onto her face broke him. "It's okay."

However, Tony was having none of it. "Then stay with me."

With a pause, the girl thought it through, her teeth sunk into her bottom lip with a hard bite, shaking her head. Letting his hand fall from her face. Her left hand patted down his lap softly. "Tony, that's sweet, but you and I both know there is no room for me there. Especially with you and Dominic." Jessie shook her head at him, the same forced smile staying on her lips.

"Then find your own place." He offered up, saying anything to stop her. He loved her, she was the best thing to happen to him, and he wasn't going to lose it without a fight.

"I don't have the money for that. Especially with no job." The girl sucked in a deep breath, her thumb traced a light circle on the top of Tony's leg.

Tony looked down towards her hand, "Fine, so you leave, but we never have to break up."

The hand stopped it motions, it rose this time to cup his own cheek. "You're really sweet, you know. And any girl will be lucky to have you." Jessie informed him, making sure he knew that. She didn't tell him it often enough. She never told him that at all in fact. The girl more so abused their relationship, complaining, whining, commenting about something better. But she knew this _was_ her something better. "Long distance relationships don't work out."

As Tony went to speak a little more, she cut him off. Her hand remaining on his cheek as she moved herself forwards. Pressing her lips to his as if they were meant to be that way. Connected, perfect, matching. They fitted together perfectly, and soon enough they would be torn apart.

That confused Tony further. His confused mind didn't know what this was a sign of. Did Jessie agree to stay? Had she agreed to at least keep dating him? That kiss did nothing to help his now racing, hopeful heart. Hands rose up her back, resting in the center as he attempted to deepen the kiss.

With the prompt of deepening their moment, Jessie panicked. She tore her lips away before she had a chance to make this harder on them. "I love you, and I always will." The girl said, a soft pat of his chest before she forced herself to her feet.

"Does this mean…?" Tony asked, sat on the bed still overly worried.

"We're over." Jessie informed him finally. One hand found the strap of her suitcase, pulling it from the bed before walking through the doorway. Turning as she got into the hall to look at the heartbroken guy upon the bed.

This wasn't how their first time together was supposed to go. It never was how it should have ended, but it did. All she had to do now was tell the kids.

With a soft smile towards Tony, Jessie looked away from him. Not looking back as she headed down the stairs and into the living room. Attempting not to break down all over again.


End file.
